State executives offered no reaction Thursday morning to calls for an Arkansas official to lose his job over emails deemed “offensive” by Franklin County area residents who oppose a new state prison in their community.

“We do not comment on personnel matters,” Courtney Traylor, chief of staff for the state Department of Transformation and Shared Services, said via email in response to questions from the River Valley Democrat-Gazette.

Jonathan Duran, deputy director of the state Office of Geographic Information Systems, which falls under Transformation and Shared Services, has been under fire since the Franklin County and River Valley Coalition released an email over the weekend the group obtained through Freedom of Information Act requests to the state.

The coalition was formed by Charleston area residents in the wake of Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ announcement on Oct. 31 that 815 acres at 6310 Arkansas 215 South, about 7 miles north of Charleston in Franklin County, had been purchased by the state as a location for a new prison.

The public had not previously been told the site was under consideration to host the 3,000-bed correctional facility state officials say is needed to ease overcrowding throughout Arkansas’ prison system.

It would be the largest prison in the state, with the next largest being the Cummins Unit in Lincoln County that can accommodate 1,900 inmates.

‘WHITE TRASH REDNECK’

The first email that drew ire was sent internally by Duran on Oct. 31 about three hours after the governor’s announcement. He emailed Shelby Johnson, director of the Transformation and Shared Services Department’s Division of Geographic Information Systems.

Duran referenced an forthcoming town hall meeting in Charleston and included a link to a video segment from the animated television show “South Park” that included a character labeled as “pissed off white trash redneck conservative.”

After the email became public, Duran expressed “great regret” that he sent it, and Johnson called Duran’s action “poor judgment and unprofessional behavior.”

The Franklin County and River Valley Coalition made a second email from Duran public Wednesday. Referring to aerial photos of the Franklin County site near Mill Creek Mountain, Duran wrote: “Is that an outhouse or an old refrigerator to the right of the house in the drone pic?”

The coalition then urged the state — and Sanders specifically — to fire Duran.

“While some may call for Duran’s removal from the specific prison site project, the Franklin County and River Valley Coalition believes this issue extends far beyond that,” the group said in a Wednesday afternoon news release distributed by Fort Smith attorney Joey McCutchen.

Traylor, responding to questions about potential discipline for Duran, again noted the department policy that it does not comment on personnel issues.

Asked about the public’s reaction to Duran’s first email, Traylor stated, “This employee’s correspondence displayed poor judgment and unprofessional behavior.”

‘REMOVED FROM PROJECT’

Duran was pulled off of the prison project after the email containing the “South Park” video link was made public this week, Traylor confirmed Thursday.

“Mr. Duran was responsible for the telecommunication components of the assessment, which was completed,” Traylor said. “However, any further analysis related to site telecommunications will require other staff to familiarize themselves with the relevant data.

“Mr. Duran was removed from the project on December 10,” Traylor said.

The Mill Creek Mountain Site Assessment, which is approximately 49 pages, details the process by the Department of Transformation and Shared Services and two of its divisions — Geographic Information Systems and the Division of Building Authority — to find land deemed appropriate for a new prison.

It also gives more detail on the Franklin County property in particular. The report was not made public until after the land purchase was complete.

“The final assessment was sent to the Board of Corrections on November 7,” Traylor said.

‘ACTIVELY ENGAGED’

The Franklin County and River Valley Coalition is not alone in saying Duran should lose his job over the references to area residents.

County Judge Rickey Bowman said Tuesday that he called Sanders after he read the email containing the “South Park” video link because he was upset by the “disturbing” and “unacceptable” references to local residents.

Bowman said he would fire an employee who sent work emails of that kind, but added he didn’t tell the governor that.

“At a minimum, I would expect a written apology to the citizens of Franklin County” from Duran, Bowman said.

“Duran’s behavior is not only offensive but also reveals a troubling lack of professionalism and respect for the very people he represents,” the Franklin County and River Valley Coalition stated Wednesday.

After calls for Sanders to fire Duran, the governor’s spokesman referred questions to the Transformation and Shared Services Department.

The River Valley Democrat-Gazette asked the department if state officials have plans for outreach to the Charleston area community in response to the controversy over Duran’s emailed sentiments.

“Staff will remain actively engaged with Franklin County Judge Bowman and other county officials, addressing any questions they may have,” Traylor stated.